The Epilogue of Evangelion
by Vicil 2000
Summary: God! I've fixed this so many times, but it's FINALLY perfect! REALLY! It's a post 3I fic featuring Shinji and Asuka. Be sure to read my notes at the end if you have any questions! The script format is mauvid, but I did that for your interpretation.


**The Epilogue of Evangelion **

**Written by Vicil 2000**

**This is the version. I submitted it as an HTML document, but most of the code I used to format the story was removed upon submission. If you find this version difficult to read, I suggest you visit my homepage whe you can find the original version in all it's beauty; click on my name to see my profile & homepage url. Also, be sure to return here to this page to R&R. I love recieving reviews from all of you.  
**

* * *

** Prologue**

* * *

**_Black screen_**

**Kaworu **

Reality is in an unfamiliar place, and dreams are within reality.

**Rei **

And the truth is within your heart.

**Kaworu **

For it is the hearts of people that create themselves.

**Rei **

And new images will change people's hearts and appearances. The power of imagination is the power to create your own future, and to make time flow.

**Kaworu **

But people must act of their own free will, or nothing will change at all.

**Rei **

So you must find your lost self on your own; even if you lose your own words, or become lost in others' words. Anyone can return to human form as long as they can imagine themselves in their own heart.

**Yui **

Don't worry. All living things have the power to return to themselves, and the will to go on living. Anywhere can be heaven as long as you have the will to live. After all, you're alive; and you can find the chance to achieve happiness anywhere. As long as the Sun, the Moon and the Earth exist, everything will be all right.

_In the BACKGROUND we hear the rising SOUND of ocean waves lapping over each other. **FADE** up to a perspective shot of ground zero. In every direction as far as we can see is a never ending ocean. From this perspective it looks as if we are in the eye of a hurricane, but it is only the ring of clouds that marks the border of where the powerful shockwave subsided. It is mid-afternoon and the sky is purple. **CUT** sound and **CUT** to black. _

_In the BACKGROUND we hear the rising SOUND of waves crashing against a beach. **FADE** up to a shot of the shoreline from slightly out at sea. Anything past the waters edge, including soil and sand is charred and burnt black. We are closer to the ring of clouds. **CUT** sound and **CUT** to black. _

_**FADE** up to a shot of footprints in the white sand of a desert wasteland. We are much closer to the ring of clouds, and we can see a horizon of green hills shaded by the clouds. There is no sound. **CUT** to black. _

_**FADE** up to a shot of footprints trekking through tiny patches of grass poking out through white sand. The footprints pass by an overturned pickup truck with a tree trunk rammed through the underside and stuck halfway. Hanging out of the windshield of the truck is a white T-shirt. **CUT** to black. _

_In the BACKGROUND we hear the rising SOUND of the whistling wind. **FADE** up to a shot of a green meadow under the shady cover of cloud which runs as far as the horizon. The long grass waves in the wind like the water of the sea. **CUT** sound and **CUT** to black._

_**FADE** up to a shot of a car parked at an odd angle in the middle of the highway. The driver and passenger doors are ajar. **CUT** to black. _

_**FADE** up to a shot of a highway sign reading: Tokyo 16(km). **CUT** to black. _

_**FADE** up to a shot of the main highway leading into Old-Tokyo. One car with a mangled front bumper in stalled on the road while another is in the ditch. A billboard on the side of the road reads: Welcome to the first Tokyo city, population 38, 000 and growing. **CUT** to black _

**_Log Cabin (CUT)_**

_**CUT** to a shot of a log propped upright on top of a stump. An axe comes down from overhead and splits the log in two. A new **ANGLE** shows a farther shot of a person bending over to pick up the split log. He is wearing a sweater, denim overalls and random heavy clothing. He tosses both pieces of the log into a shopping cart full of timber near his left. He throws the axe down, grabs the front of the shopping cart, turns around and begins to pull the cart out of the yard. The figure has revealed himself to the audience as Ikari Shinji. _

_He seems to have trouble pulling the cart over the long grass of the yard he's dragging it out of. The property he's leaving is not on a farmland or countryside, but in the middle-upper class housing district of Old-Tokyo. It's also part of his new neighborhood. No house is less than two stories in this part of the city. _

**_Neighborhood (CUT)_**

_Once out of the gate, Shinji rolls the cart in front of him so he can push it from behind. We CUT to a wide shot of the corner of an intersection. Shinji is coming out of the left side of the shot as he approaches the corner. Once there her turns and continues down the avenue. This shot is to illustrate the look of his neighborhood and to suggest what his new home is. The whole shot is approx 30 - 40 seconds. _

**_Shinji and Asuka's house (CUT)_**

_**CUT** to the shot of a driveway. Shinji comes out of the left side of the shot and steers the cart up the driveway and into an open garage. Pan up to a shot of a two-story, white brick house. The front lawn grass is nine inches tall. He releases the cart to let it roll into the garage and turns toward the front door. _

**_Rec-room (CUT)_**

_Shinji opens the door and announces his arrival. _

**Shinji **

I'm home!

_He kicks off his shoes and throws his sweater on the arm of a chair. A burning fireplace is his only greeting. _

**_Hallway (CUT)_**

_Shinji turns and proceeds down the corridor into the bathroom. _

**_Bathroom (CUT)_**

_**CUT** to black. The door opens, once again on the left and a ray of light spikes through the shadows, illuminating the sink and toilet. Shinji flips the light switch to reveal an overhead wide shot of the bathroom. _

_Immediately, Shinji goes to work. From a cabinet under the sink, Shinji withdraws a white, clean plastic paint bale. He sets it in the tub under the faucet and turns on the hot water. While the bale fills, he opens the mirror compartment and pulls out a white box which he sets on the counter. He takes another smaller yellow ice cream pale from under the sink with a sponge resting on the bottom of it. He sets this bucket on the floor and turns toward a linen closet behind him. He takes a two towels and a handful of rags from within and drops them into the ice cream pale. He turns off the faucet and takes the paint bale out of the tub by the handle, puts the white box under his arm, and picks up the yellow pale off the floor with his free hand. Shinji exits the bathroom, and with the hand holding the yellow pale, turns off the light. _

**_Asuka's bedroom (CUT)_**

_**CUT** to a wide angle shot of Asuka lying on her bed. Her right arm lies prone while her left arm is holding a book. She's wearing a green bathrobe; and where her flesh can be seen, most of it is covered in tight bandages, the most jarring of which present is the one over her left eye. _

_A knock comes to the door._

**Shinji (muffled) **

Asuka!

**Asuaka (hoarse) **

It's open!

_Asuka clears her throat after her scratchy response as Shinji opens the door to her room with his supplies in hand. He comes near the bed and sets his stuff down next to him. He takes the sponge from the yellow pale and drops it into the paint bale full of water. _

_Asuka begins to slowly sit up, and swing her legs over the side of the bed. Shinji puts a helping hand around her while she steadies herself. _

**Asuka **

I'm fine, don't worry.

**Shinji **

Okay.

_He lets go and takes a knees beside her. Shinji spreads the bottom of her bathrobe. A new **ANGLE** shows directly from the front that there are thick bandages on Asuka's thighs and her right shin, and just above her underwear is the beginning of another large bandaged area. _

_Shinji opens the white box and takes out a small pair of scissors. With a few quick snips up the side of her leg, Shinji removes the bands covering patches of gauze. There are three pairs of patches of gauze on her legs on her right shin and both thighs. Shinji tears the off without remorse. Beneath each of the patches is a long, narrow scab of a stab wound. A white lining traces the border of the crust. Asuka's eye twitches once as Shinji starts fingering them. _

**Shinji **

Does this hurt?

**Asuka **

… No.

_Shinji traces the length of the one on her shin with his thumb. _

**Shinji **

These look pretty good. I don't think they need to be done again. When you feel you can start walking again, say the word… What about your nausea?

_Shinji raises his head to look her in the eye. _

**Asuka **

I still get sick.

_Shinji nods and rests her leg on the floor. He then reaches for her underwear. Asuka props herself up on her left arm and Shinji pulls them too the floor and off her feet. We switch to a side **ANGLE** before her genitals are revealed. _

_Shinji lays a towel under her, and then reaches into the bale and pulls out the wet sponge. He wrings it once and begins to scrub Asuka's legs with it. _

_While Shinji is working, we **DISSOLVE** to a side view of Asuka's expression. There is sadness evident in her slack eye caused by this violation, yet no tears fall from her face. Asuka looks away and tries to slip into a daydream. _

_We then **DISSOLVE** to Shinji's expression, which is empty of feeling. There is indifference toward this chore, possibly a mental constitution to keep Shinji from investing other emotions in it. _

_Shinji dunks the sponge in the bale and leaves it there for the time being. He takes the second towel out of the yellow pale and begins to dry her off. _

**Shinji **

Do you feel sick?

**Asuka **

A little…

_Shinji doesn't look up when he speaks to her, but he does reach for the yellow pale and dumps its contents on the floor. _

**Shinji **

Just tell me if you need the bucket.

_Shinji throws the towel over his shoulder and picks up Asuka's underwear. He slips it on her feet and up her legs. Asuka lifts herself so he can put it back over her bottom. Shinji finishes with that and then pulls at the belt of Asuka's robe. She lets it fall from her shoulders. Asuka's entire torso is covered with tightly wrapped white tensor bands. They begin at her hips all the way up to her underarms. On her left side, the bands under her arm loop around to the right side of her neck where they begin to run all the way down her limp, right arm. Her four fingers and thumb are the only things not wrapped on that arm. _

_This time, instead of using the scissors, Shinji plucks the pins off of the end of the band on the heel of her hand and carefully begins to unwrap the entire arm. There are more bands of course under each of these; however, the second layer on the arms has small dots of blood tracing a line up Asuka's arm. Shinji comes to the end of the first band at Asuka's forearm. He plucks off the pins and starts on the next one. _

_We **DISSOLVE** to a close up of the yellow bucket and a pile of bloodied tensor bands next to it. Another band drops from the top of the frame on to the pile. _

_**DISSOLVE** to another angle of Shinji behind Asuka wrapping another strip of bandage around Asuka's cleavage. Her right arm has been patched up and the bandages run under the strips he's using now. A large patch of Gauze on her abdomen is slowly being covered. _

_**DISSOLVE** to a new angle of a profile of Asuka's right side. Shinji is pressing a cloth against her left eye, which we cannot see. He's careful around this area, wiping under and around it. He withdraws the bloodied cloth and drops it onto the pile of used bandages. _

_**CUT** to a shot Asuka's face as Shinji finishes wrapping a band around her head so he can cover both sides of the wound. He puts the last two pins in finally and reaches for Asuka's bathrobe. He drapes it over her shoulders and stands up. _

**Shinji **

How do you feel?

**Asuka **

Fine.

**Shinji **

Do you need to go to the bathroom? Is there something you want to eat?

**Asuka **

No.

**Shinji **

Do you want another book?

**Asuka **

No.

_They are still and silent there for a moment. Shinji looks somewhat aggrivated. _

**Shinji **

… I want you to use a sling for your arm from now on until it heals.

**Asuka **

Why would I need a sling for it? I can still use it.

**Shinji **

But you shouldn't be. Asuka, if it keeps tearing it could get infected with Gangrene. How am I supposed to clean that with rubbing alcohol and bandages? The same thing goes for scratching it.

**Asuka **

I'll scratch it if I want to. It's not like it's going to look any worse.

**Shinji **

Asuka…

**Asuka **

Fine, Shinji! I'll use the stupid sling.

_Shinji is visibly frustrated._

**Shinji **

… Good. I'll pick one up when I go for groceries.

_Asuka closes her robe and lies back down on her bed _

_Shinji stands there for a moment and then begins to clean up the mess of rags. _

**Shinji **

I'll leave the bucket.

_With an armful of scraps in hand and a bale full of red water in the other, Shinji exits the room, and slides the door closed with his foot. _

**_Bathroom (CUT) _**

_Shinji drops the rags into a cardboard box laid out next to the cloths basket and dumps the water into the tub. He pulls down his pants and sits on the toilet. He slouches over and rests his head in his hands as he takes a sigh of relief. _

_Then the door opens with Asuka on the other side. _

**Shinji **

Hey!

**Asuka **

Sorry…

_Asuka blushes and closes the door quickly. Shinji stares at the door and then sighs in frustration._

**_Entrance (CUT)_**

_Shinji hefts the empty knapsack onto his shoulders over his sweater. _

**Shinji **

I'm leaving!

_Shinji slams the door behind him. The house is once again silent. _

**_Shinji and Asuka's house (CUT) _**

_Shinji pulls a bicycle out of the garage, adjusts the knapsack on his back, and head off into town. **PAN** up to a shot of the city. _

**_The Streets of Old _**_**Tokyo (CUT)**_

_We follow Shinji on his bike into the old metropolis in a montage of visuals of scenery with overlapping character voices. _

**Misato (Voice over) **

Specifically, you use a bicycle because you can use it on the sidewalks of the ghost city. Empty cars are stalled on the pavement on every road, and there are more of them further into the heart of the city as you approach. Of course, the new world of Old Tokyo isn't as densely populated as it once was, but buildings are still built to stack people on top of one another, and nearly every one of those people needs something to get around. Well… not so much anymore. Even the sidewalks themselves are now lined with the remains of the human race.

**Rei (Voice over) **

There are, literally, piles of clothing… everywhere. A shirt caught on the leg of a bench; another is hanging out of the open window of a stalled vehicle; a pair shorts is blowing in the breeze; and small piles of clothing, one for every pedestrian, who on the day of third impact witnessed the great mass of the Geofront as it rose from it's burial into the blue sky at high noon from a heavenly flash of fire, smoke and sound. They probably thought it was an eclipse.

**Ritsuko (Voice over) **

Since the abandonment of the city, everything has slowly started to break down. Power plants will run according to artificial intelligence until an event occurs that the computer cannot fix. Eventually, all of them will automatically shut down to prevent a cataclysmic disaster, or because of poor maintenance. The tap water will become less and less safe to drink, as toxins from an empty water treatment facility contaminate and infect every area within 100 km radius. Any food in a supermarket will rot to a soup. Even canned food with their preservatives and dehydrated, vacuum-sealed TV dinners will decay to the proverbial poisoned apple.

**Fyutsuki (Voice over) **

Yet, as things stand now, it is good. Without the human race, the human race's little quirks are happily done without. Like money; since everything is now free, and there is no one to claim an item for the profit of their supplier until money has been exchanged for it, just take what you want.

**Gendo (Voice over) **

And change. The constant state of change filled people to the pinnacle with fear; technology, mobility, entertainment, biology, disease, weapons, government, religion, race, language, war, communication, freedom; all of these were in a constant state of evolution – for the better of worse. The world has indeed stopped changing.

**Asuka (Voice over) **

At least this is what you keep telling yourself, because inside your wish is that nothing had changed at all.

**_Mind (CUT) _**

_We hear the crashing **SOUND** of a spotlight circuit flipping on as Shinji is illuminated in the black of an empty performance theatre. He is sitting erect on a chair wearing what was once his school garb. The circle of light under him takes the form of the Red-Earth. _

**Shinji **

I hear all of this…

**_Hospital (CUT) _**

_Shinji slows to a stop to the front doors of the six story building. He leans his bike against a parking meter instead of dropping it on the ground. He's in no hurry. _

_There is a quick visualization of Shinji heaving Asuka onto a bench. Simultaneously, Asuka cries out in pain, and Shinji puffs in relief because he doesn't have to carry her anymore. The visualization is only a ½ second, but the point is well made. _

_After the visual, we **CUT** to a shot of Shinji entering the empty and dark corridors on the first floor. _

_**CUT** to a quick visualization of Shinji kicking in the front door of the white house that would become his home. _

_**CUT** to a shot of a shot of an opening door's light piercing the darkness of a supply closet. Shinji flips the light switch and enters, taking off his pack. He stands in place for a moment while scanning the shelves for the items he needs, and then begins stuffing plastic bags of sterilized needles and rolls of thread, gauze and tape into the knapsack. _

_**CUT** to a quick visualization of Shinji threading stitches into Asuka's arm while she whimpers. _

**_Corner store (CUT) _**

_**CUT** to a shot of the corner store. The sun is setting. _

**_Shopping area (CUT)_**

_Shinji is browsing the canned foods with his knapsack cradled in his arm, stuffing whatever he can into it. _

**_The Streets of Old _**_**Tokyo (CUT) **_

_We follow Shinji again on his bike back to his house on the silent streets of the city. The last minutes of the day are passing and the light is snuffed out over the horizon. It must be 10 o'clock . _

_Five – ten seconds later, we **CUT** to a shot of Shinji in Asuka's room, sitting on the edge of her bed, looking at his feet. Asuka is lying on the bed behind him with the bed sheets over her. The moonlight from the window behind them makes their shapes silhouette, and the light from the door to the room illuminates the edge of the bed. Shinji's hands have streaks of blood on them. _

**Asuka **

… I don't want to die.

**Shinji **

… I don't want you to either.

_Asuka is silent._

**Shinji **

… I'll try my best… as long as it takes… until you get better.

_Asuka turns her head away from Shinji. Shinji looks at her once more, then rises, and leaves the room, sliding the door closed behind him. _

_We **CUT** back to Shinji on his bike. His brow furrows. _

**_Entrance (CUT) _**

_Shinji steps inside the front door. _

**Shinji **

I'm…

_Shinji sees Asuka over the countertop, which separates the kitchen from the rec-room, sitting at the table. She turns her head and looks at him like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming car. _

**Shinji **

… home.

_Shinji sets his knapsack in the corner and takes off his sweater and shoes. Asuka pauses for a moment and then turns her attention back to the book in her hand in a failed attempt to act normal. _

_**CUT** to later. Shinji finishes strapping Asuka's new sling around her shoulder and they both sit back. Asuka stares at her new restraint for a moment, and then picks a point at the wall to focus on, not really having anything to say. Shinji's actions mimic her own. _

_Also, there are two open and empty cans of Del Monte' on the table. _

**Shinji **

… I don't like it when you do things behind my back, especially when I'm trying to help you.

_Asuka is silent. _

**Shinji **

You shouldn't have been walking by yourself when I wasn't around. It's very dangerous.

**Asuka **

You sound just like my stepmother.

**Shinji **

Then I guess you didn't have any respect for her either!

_Asuka doesn't respond. _

**Shinji **

I guess there's no use in saying anything now. Your legs are fine, so walk around all you want.

_Shinji gets up from the table. He glares at her one more time. _

**Shinji **

Don't use that arm unless you want to spend more time in that sling.

_Shinji steps around the table and starts toward his room; he stops outside the corridor with his back turned to her. _

**Shinji **

… Please.

_With that, he leaves her at the table, looking at her feet. Asuka sits still letting the tension go, then reaches for her book, and picks up where she left off. _

**_Shinji's bedroom (CUT) _**

_Shinji is sitting on the edge of his bed. He sighs heavily, lies down and pulls the covers over him. _

**_Black beach (CUT) _**

_**CUT** to a shot of a silver cross nailed to a charred black stump. In the **BACKGROUND**, **OFF SCREEN**, amidst the **SOUND** of the waves crashing against the shore, heavy breathing is heard. The silhouette of a shadow rises over the stump with the sound of wet footprints, and a soaking-wet hand slaps down on the top it, as if the person is catching breath while observing this landmark. Water drips onto the top of the stump and the hand. _

_**FADE** to black. _

**_Entrance (CUT) _**

_**FADE** up to a scene as Shinji pulls his sweater over his head, now ready to go outside for another day of errands. Shinji grabs the handle, but stops. He looks at the handle and then turns his head toward the corridor. _

**_Hallway (CUT) _**

_Shinji is standing outside the door to Asuka's room with his hands at his sides, looking at his feet. A few seconds pass, and then he reaches for the door handle. _

_To his surprise, the door slides open before he touches it. Asuka is startled to see him again outside her door. Shinji tries to say something, but Asuka beats him to it._

**Asuka **

Excuse me.

**Shinji **

Right, sorry.

_He stands aside and lets Asuka pass by into the bathroom closing the door behind her. A few more seconds pass by. Shinji's hand begins to twitch. _

**Shinji **

Asuka…

**Asuka **

I'll be out in a minute!

_Shinji sighs heavily and nods. He waits a few more seconds and wiggles his fingers to relax. When he hears the toilet flush, his anxiety gets the better of him and he starts to walk down the corridor. _

_The bathroom door slides open. Asuka comes out closing her bathrobe. _

**Asuka **

Okay, let's get started.

_Shinji stops in his tracks and turns back. His hand starts twitching again. Apparently, Asuka thinks it's time to change her bandages because she's taking off her sling on her way into her room. _

**Shinji **

No, it's not that.

_Asuka comes back out into the hallway. _

**Asuka **

What?

**Shinji **

Um, I was just going to ask if you wanted to come out with me.

**Asuka **

… No thanks.

**Shinji **

Okay. Uh, put your sling back on until I get back, and then I'll change your bandages.

_Before Shinji can take a step away, however, the floor starts to vibrate. The sensation runs up his whole leg. A split second later, Shinji breaks into a sprint toward Asuka. _

**Shinji **

Get inside the doorframe!

_He grabs Asuka around her side and swings her into the door frame. A night stand in Asuka's room tips on its side and spills its contents on the floor as the earthquake violently shakes the house. The bookshelf tips over and slams down onto Asuka's bed. In the kitchen, drawers rattle out of place and spill knives and utensils everywhere. _

_Shinji presses them both against the door frame, trying to squish himself further into the safest place to hide, as long as it holds._

_The quake subsides. Shinji and Asuka's frightened breathing is all that's heard when the clatter of anything else giving loose is done. Shinji releases the both of them. Their breathing settles, but their hearts still pump wildly. _

_Asuka steps into her demolished room on shaky legs. _

**Asuka **

That's the most exciting thing that's happened since the last quake.

_Asuka looks at the bookshelf on top of the crushed frame of her bed where her head would be. Absentmindedly, she strokes her neck. _

**Asuka **

Actually, I think I will go. It's boring here.

**_The Streets of Old _**_**Tokyo (CUT) **_

_Shinji and Asuka are walking slowly down the sidewalk. Asuka is wearing a long snow coat which you can see her bathrobe under. Under her bathrobe, she is wearing sweatpants and a pair of shoes two sizes too big; the laces are ties so tight that the bow is a foot long on either side of the shoe. The right arm of the snow coat hangs empty. Shinji is walking beside her with his sweater and overalls. _

_Shinji turns to Asuka. _

**Shinji **

How are you?

**Asuka **

You've known for a week that I can walk comfortably, Shinji, so stop asking. It's getting on my nerves.

_Shinji looks away at the slowly passing scenery. _

**Asuka **

The cold is almost unbearable.

_Asuka raises her head to see the purple sky. _

_**CUT** to a moving shot of the sky from the ground. Shinji and Asuka converse off screen. _

**Shinji **

May I talk with you?

**Asuka **

Go ahead. I can't ever stop you.

_**CUT** to a quick visualization of Shinji's hand twitching, followed by **CUT** to a moving wide shot of their feet from the front, walking towards the moving perspective. _

**Shinji **

It's important…

_Asuka waits for Shinji's response, but __Shinji can't quite seem to pick his words. _

**Asuka **

What?

**Shinji **

I need you to look up some stuff with me… about farming.

_Asuka cocks an eyebrow. _

**Asuka **

Has this been on your mind for a while?

**Shinji **

A few days. I assume you've also thought about how we're going to live.

_Asuka is silent._

**Shinji **

Look, um… I've tried to come up with ways for you to help out a little. I know it must have been boring for you, being… bedridden.

**Asuka **

Yeah, it was.

**Shinji **

… So will you help?

**Asuka **

Sure.

_The tension in Shinji's face seems to let go all at once._

**Shinji **

I was thinking that we would go to the mall. We can get you some shoes… and some clothes for when you're healthy. And then we'll stop at the library.

**Asuka **

… Sure.

**_Memories (CUT-Black Screen)_**

_We go back in time to a moment of degridation. We hear the sound of quickened breathing with a slight echo, familiar of someone exciting themself. At the end of the digusting act, he gasps, and simultaneously, the whites of two eyes open and pierce the darkness.. **CUT** to a shot of a hospital room. Shinji stands over Asuka's sleeping body; her gown is open, her breasts are exposed, and in Shinji's hand is a mess of his act. _

**Shinji**

I'm so fucked up…

_He fumbles for a nearby tissue to wipe it off and throws it in the garbage. He runs to Asuka's bed, closes her gown and covers her with the bed sheets. Shinji hurriedly leaves the room._

_**FADE** to black. _

_**CUT **to a new scene further back in time of Asuka laying in a tub of dirty water in a destroyed apartment. From above, we look down through a hole in the roof. On a chair next to the tub is her clothes neatly folded. In Asuka's hand is a glass shard. She presses the shard into her wrist and makes a four inch slice down her forearm. She tosses the shard over the edge of the tub and leans back while the water is clouded red. _

_**FADE** to black _

_Suddenly two hands rush out of the darkness. _

_**CUT** to a new scene further back in time, in a small Japanese kitchen. From a close up on Asuka's neck, two hands wrap around it and squeeze, making a small packing sound as they hit her flesh. **CUT** to a lower angle close up of her feet, as Asuka is lifted off the floor. Shinji grunts from the strain of lifting her, and heaves with all his might, sinking his thumbs deeper into her neck, strangling the life out of her. _

_Asuka reaches up and grips his wrists, trying to pull him away. He only presses tighter, making her elicit a small squeak. _

_She's on the tip of her toes, now, struggling for balance. One leg flies up and her shin connects with his groin. Shinji coughs, dropping Asuka and the both of them collapse. Asuka gags for sweet air as Shinji cradles his injury. She crawls on her knees to her room and shuts the door behind. _

**_The Streets of Old _**_**Tokyo (CUT) **_

_**CUT** to a cross shot of Shinji. Asuka's mouth is in the foreground on the right of the frame. _

**Asuka **

You must be so happy…

_They stop walking, Shinji turns to Asuka. **CUT** to a new **ANGLE** looking down from above._

**Asuka **

Playing the role of a doting caregiver.

_Shinji grimaces as if he suddenly feels sick. _

**Shinji **

You don't know how bad I feel.

**Asuka **

What about me! How could you do those things to me! You BASTARD! You make me feel so disgusting!

**Shinji **

I don't mean to!

**Asuka **

You get everything! You have Misato and First! A home! Talent! Everyone sticks up for you! You're better at piloting than I am! You're so damn perfect and all you ever do is feel guilty!

_Shinji clams up while Asuka whips him with her words. _

**Asuka **

… They shack me up with you against my will. I had to sleep in the same room with you. I got shown up by that bitch! My entire life, I worked my ass off to get where I was; then I meet you and it's all like a spec of dust in the wind compared to the invincible Shinji.

_Shinji hangs his head in shame before Asuka finishes her sentance. _

**Asuka **

LOOK AT ME!

_Shinji timidly looks at her face, the bandages over her eye have loosened. With her good arm Asuka rips it off, revealing the encrusted wound. _

_Several moments of silence pass. _

**Asuka **

Do you have anything to say that could possibly fix this?

_Shinji stares at the wound. He begins breathing deeply. The camera angles start flashing back and forth between them. As the tension rises scenes of the dismembered corpse of Eva Unit-02 become intermingled with the frames. _

_Shinji drops to his knees and hugs her waist, weeping. At this point, we finally get some **BACKGROUND MUSIC: "ALL THE LOVE IN THE WORLD" by NINE INCH NAILS**. _

**Shinji**

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Asuka… I'm so sorry…

_Asuka cringes from the pain, beneath her aches she looks as if she's about to cry. _

**Shinji**

I'm so sorry… Asuka, I'm so sorry… I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…

_**Fade** to black _

* * *

** Prologue**

* * *

_**Author's note's (Revised) **_

This is like the sixth time I've re-edited this chapter! Each time I alter it a little, but I don't think I ever got it right until today. I've even formatted it in Dreamweaver so it looks extra-readable in the web page! I guess I have some explaining to do.

I tried to present the story is such a way as to remain true to Anno's movie. I stayed far away from OOC, because I absolutely hate it in all of it's forms, and portraited the characters as I interpreted them to be. The task came to me "How was I gonna write a love story about such an unlikely couple?" It can be said that Shinji and Asuka are star crossed and opposed in every way. But since I am such a whore for this relationship, I'm trying to make it work.

Oddly enough this chapter is written to be the epilogue of EoE, and at the same time, the prologue of my own fanfic.

You may be asking what the ending is about. Well, it's boiled down to two very special scenes that I feel sets the scene perfectly.

The first is the scene where Shinji masterbates over Asuka. An interview with the Seyu that played Asuka revealed that the final line of the movie was relevant to this scene. Anno asked her, "Imagine you are asleep and a predator breaks into your house. He can rape you at any time, as you are asleep, however he doesn't. Instead he masturbates over your body. You wake up. He's still in the room and you know what he's done. How would you feel?"

"Disgusting."

So this reveals what the final line of the movie "How disgusting." is relavent to.

The second scene I speak of appears right before instumentality. It is the scene where we see Shinji strangle Asuka. I believe that entire scene is IN CONTINUITY, and I believe it happens just before Kaworu arrives. It's a legitamate reason why Asuka ran away. If you think about it. It spells out a lot about Shinji and Asuka's relationship. Asuka is victimized through out most of the series. She is forced into situations she doesn't like. She loses her skills that she has worked her entire life for. Everyone sticks up for Shinji over her. When Shinji attacks her, not even the place she has been forced to call home is safe. So she runs away. I do believe she slit her wrists in that bathtub, which is why she's in the hospital.

I'm not asking you to debate over the possibilities of these theories, nor do I want you to. I am simply telling you why the events in my story are playing out as they are, because these theories are the basis of the fanfic. Instead, I want you to judge the merit of the story and make constructive reviews. Help me with ideas to CONTINUE the story AS IS instead of correcting my paridigm of Evangelion. My goal is to make each chapter stand alone. Issues introduced in any chapter should be appropriately addressed before the final line, and questions I chose to leave unanswered in this and all future chapters are left unanswered to leave events open to interpretation by you, the audience. Know that as I continue to write, I am taking the utmost care to make The Epilogue of Evangelion as entertaining as it's origin

Other things to point out: notice the scene at the black beach that occurs after Shinji goes to bed? It seems to have no reason to be there. It's purpose is to show you people are beginning to emerge from Lilith's corpse.

Why the song by NIN? Becuase "Fly me to the Moon" is dated. I was recently introduced to NIN by a friends, and I find many of their songs appropriate for the mood I'm trying to set.

Till next time: keep on the watch for more chapters.


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